Center for Buddhist Education (Berkeley, California) - Since its launching in September 2008, 150 students have enrolled in the Jodo Shinshu Correspondence Course (JSCC) and this August, recognized its first group of students who have successfully completed the program. Offered by the Center for Buddhist Education, the JSCC office is conveniently located at the Jodo Shinshu Center just a block from the University of California, Berkeley campus. The online program is conducted in English and has included students participating not only from English-speaking countries such as the U.S. and Canada, but is also seeing developing interests in countries including Japan, Germany, Brazil, and Malaysia.
JSCC is a two-year computer based program in which students download text material and submit assignments through the course’s web page. In addition, a workshop is offered in the summer to have discussions in person. Designated ministers from Buddhist Churches of America, Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Temples of Canada, and the Hongwanji headquarters in Japan serve as course instructors providing feedback to participants.
With the upcoming observance of the 750th Memorial for Shinran Shonin, international propagation is being promoted. As Monshu Koshin Ohtani had announced in his message, On the Seven hundred fiftieth Memorial for Shinran Shonin, it could be said that both international propagation as well as the promotion of Jodo Shinshu “in areas where temple activities are not currently being carried out” is definitely taking shape through the Jodo Shinshu Correspondence Course on a universal scale.
For more information, please contact the Hongwanji International Department (Japan) at (075) 371-5547 or go to http://jscc.cbe-bca.org.

 

 

(Excerpt from Hongwanji Journal, August 1, 2010)